High-pressure piston or reciprocating compressor or the like



C. SCHAER Julie 25, 1929.

HIGH PRESSURE PISTON OR RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 20, 1928 I 5M0 QM) ATTD ule/s June 25 19 29. c, SCHAER 1,718,307

HIGHPRESSURE PISTON OR RECIPROCA'ITING count-255013 OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATT'EIR E s Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED sm'rss PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SCHAER, OF LANGENTHAL, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF SULZER FRERES SOCIETE ANONYME, OF WINTERTHUR, SWITZERLAND.

HIGH-PRESSURE PISTON OR RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR OR THE LIKE.

Application filed January 20, 1928, Serial No.

This invention relates to high pressure piston or reciprocating compressors or the like of the kind in which the driving apparatus drives the compressor through the medium of an oscillating column of liquid.

According to the present invention the driving piston of the compressor or intermediate piston is exposed on both sides to the action of a column of liquid.

In a multi-cylinder super-pressure piston compressor, a column of liquid may be located between the piston of the driving apparatus and one side of one of the intermediate pistons of the compressor, and between the other side of these intermediate pistons and another intermediate piston of the compressor to enable the movement of the pistons to be effected positively and to prevent the pistons from seizing. One or more of the intermediate pistons of the compressor may be displaced relatively to the axis of the piston of the driving apparatus.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a compressor constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a section on the line C-D of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line A-B of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a diagram showing a modified form of Figure 1.

In the construction shown in Figures 13 the cylinders 3 and 4 for the driving or intermediate pistons 5 and 6 of the compressor are mounted in the cylinders 1 and 2. The primary piston 8 of the driving apparatus which reciprocates in the cylinder 7, is

driven by the crosshead 9 by means of any suitable driving apparatus such as a crank 15 shown only in Figure 4.

The compressor piston 10 (Figure 3) is connected to the intermediate piston 6 and the intermediate piston 5 is connected to the compressor piston 11 (Figure 2). The upper face of the pistons 5 an 6 is exposed. to the action of the liquid column 12, and the lower face of the pistons is exposed to the action of the liquid column 13 which may be termed the coupling column enclosed in the casing 23.

The cylinders 3 and 4 are as shown in Figure 1 displaced relatively to the axis of the 248,120, and in Switzerland February 5, 1927.

piston rod 14. They may, however, be otherwise disposed as shown for example in Figure 4 where the piston rod does not extend right through, as in Figure 1, so that only one of the cylinders is displaced relatively to the axis of the piston of the driving machine. I V

The operation of this construction is as follows:

Assuming that the primary piston 8 of the driving apparatus is in its mid-position as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, and that the driving crank 15 rotates in the direction of the arrow 16 (Figure 4), then if the piston 8 moves from its mid-position (Figure 1) in the direction of the arrow 17 into the position 18 shown in dotted lines, the intermediate piston 5 is forced downwards by the action of the liquid column 12, as far as the stop 19 (Figure 2), which limits the stroke, thus producing the suction stroke of the compressor piston 11.

At the same time, however, the intermediate piston 6 has been forced upwards by the action of the liquid column 13, as far as the stop 20, which limits its upward stroke, whilst the piston 10, producing the compression, has compressed the medium which has been drawn in through the suction valve 21 (Figure 3) and discharged it through the delivery valve 22. The return stroke of the piston 8 produces the suction stroke in cylinder 11 and compresses in cylinder 1 the gas or other medium therein.

According to the invention the suction and compression strokes of the compressor pistons are not only efi'ected positively by the action of the liquid column, but seizing or binding of the pistons is also prevented.

The relative displacement of the intermediate pistons may also be effected in other ways than that shown in the drawing, whilst the pressure stages may be suitably sub-divided. Various cylinders may also operate in the same stage.

I claim:

1. In a high pressure reciprocating compressor the combination with a primary piston effecting a positive movement, of a. plurality of intermediate pistons, an oscillating column of liquid between one side of said primary piston and one of said inter mediate pistons, a second oscillating column of liquid between the other side of said primary piston and another of said intermediate pistons, and a third oscillating column of liquid between said intermediate pistons.

2. In a high pressure reciprocating compressor the combination with a horizontally arranged primary piston effecting a positive movement, of a plurality of vertically arranged intermediate pistons, an oscillating column of liquid between one side of said primary piston and one of said intermediate pistons, a second oscillating column of liquid between the other side of said primary piston and another of said intermediate pistons, and a third oscillating column of liquid between said intermediate pistons.

3. In a high pressure.reciprocating compressor the combination with a horizontally arranged primary piston efi'ecting a positive movement, of a plurality of vertically arranged intermediate pistons, an oscillating column of liquid between one side of said primary piston and one of said intermediate pistons, a second oscillating column of liquid between the other side of said primary piston and another of said intermediate "primary piston and one of said intermediate pistons, the said intermediate piston being displaced relatively to the axis of said primary piston, a second oscillating column of liquid between the other side of said primary piston and another of said intermediate pistons, said second named intermediate piston being also displaced relatively to the axis of said primary piston, and a third oscillating column of liquid between said intermediate pistons.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

' CHARLES SGHAER. 

